Golf is one of the most popular sports of the modern age, hosting some of the best athletes of all time as well as millions of dedicated fans. It’s played around the world and boasts some of the biggest sporting events in the world.
Starting out in Scotland, the game of golf also has a long and rich history that sees it transform and evolve from a simple sport to the behemoth that it is today. Keep reading to learn more about the fascinating history of golf.
The Origins Of The Game
It’s widely accepted that golf started out in the country of Scotland. In fact, the very first mention of the game was in 1457 as part of an Act from the Scottish Parliament, where lawmakers were calling for the game to receive a nationwide ban alongside other popular sports, such as football.
The game was prohibited by King James II of Scotland, who believed that golf was a distraction for those that were training to be in the military, and that they would be better suited focussing on something like archery.
The game would continue to receive more bans over the next century, and the many restrictions that were imposed on it saw it dwindle in popularity until the beginning of the 16th century. The Treaty of Glasgow was an official document that removed all of the limitations of the game, once again opening up for the average person to enjoy.
Golf is very much a part of Scottish history, and its heritage is one that many Scottish people are deeply proud of to this day, where it remains an extremely popular pastime throughout much of the country.
How Golf Became International
The next few centuries saw the game being spread across the world, which was something that can be attributed to immigrants and Scottish soldiers. They first took the game to Britain during the 28th century, and while it took off there, it would be another 100 years before it truly gained global adoption.
While the oldest golf courses in the world reside in Scotland, the first courses outside of the British Isles were first set up in France with the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, followed not long after by a club that was built in Pau. B
y the time that the turn of the century came around, golf had spread to a number of other countries, including Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, and more, following the same pattern as something like real money pokies.
Modern Golf
The oldest golf courses outside of Britain are to be found in nearby France, with the establishment of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in 1829 and the club at Pau in 1856. Between 1900 and 2000, the game exploded in popularity, and thousands of courses were built throughout the globe, with hundreds in Britain alone. This was the period of time that also gave rise to the many international golfing events that we know and love today.